Two Halves of the Same Soul
by Smart Angel
Summary: More than anything... More than anything he just didn t want to be alone anymore. He just wanted him back. ONESHOT


Hao hated it so much. He hated to see Yoh surrounded by all those people. He hated to see them all talking o him. He would never openly admit it but… But he was jealous. There was a time when only he could talk to Yoh. He could still remember of a time when Yoh belonged to him and only him; a time when they were inseparable.

And now seeing all these worthless shamans around him… It made Hao sick. Especially that human boy who said to be Yoh`s best friend. No, he wasn`t Yoh`s best friend. Hao refused to believe such a thing. He refused to believe he was replaced by such a disgusting creature.

It also made him sad. He missed those days, when there were only the two of them. He missed having Yoh around him every single minute of the day. He wished he could go back. He felt so lonely without him. It wasn`t fair… He wanted him back. He needed him to be back, so the loneliness would go away! He needed them to become one again, so he would have his friend back. He always took Yoh for granted, but now that he was being forced to live without him… It hurt.

Hao still remembered when Yoh first appeared in his life. It was after Ohachyo had left him, when Hao was all alone again. He was in front of a river, washing away the blood from his body, wishing he had friend. He did that often after Ohachyo left. Hao went after all of those who hurt his mom and took vengeance on them, yet he couldn`t help but wish he had company. He wanted someone to be by his side.

And that was when Yoh appeared. In the water, little Hao saw the reflection of a boy who looked just like him by his side. He looked like a spirit, but also like something else. Hao didn`t know how to react at first. Who was this kid? Why did they look so much alike?

He asked him that, and the kid just smiled. "I have no name." he had said. "And I`m no spirit. Or at least, not the kind you are used to."

"Then what are you?" Hao asked the boy, frowning slightly. "And why are you here?"

"You wanted a friend, right?" the boy asked, and when Hao nodded uncertain. The boy then smiled widely and pointed at himself with thumb"Well, that`s what I`m here for! I`m your friend!"

And from that day on the two were never apart. For years Hao wasn`t sure what Yoh was, but he also didn`t care. Yoh was his friend, and Yoh was always by his side. That was all it mattered for Hao. The two played while they were young. Yoh didn`t eat, not even offerings, but he would still make Hao company. The only times Yoh would disappear was when Hao fell asleep. It would then take a few hours before he showed up again.

When Hao was a teenager and started studying to be an onmyouji, Yoh was right at his side. Hao lived in a small room in a temple, and he did all his study after his duties were done. Yoh would often sit with him on the bed and read what Hao was doing. He would watch Hao`s attempts at advanced spells and point out where it went wrong. Sometimes Yoh would just lie in bed and complain that he was bored. Hao would scold him, but Yoh never took it seriously. Yoh knew that Hao still cared for him. Even when Hao would be cruel to him, Yoh would always know, he would always smile and shrug it off.

It never really bothered Hao the fact that this nameless spirit aged. He never questioned what Yoh was. He would always look like Hao, age just like him. They had different personalities, but they looked identical. If Yoh was a living person, someone would think they were twins.

Another thing that bothered Hao was the fact that no other spirit could see him. It was only Hao. Yoh existed only for Hao. Hao was Yoh`s entire world. He would always be where he was, and he would always talk only to Hao. And Hao… He liked it. He liked the fact that Yoh had no one else. Maybe it was wrong, but he liked having Yoh all to himself, not having to share him.

Yoh was also there when he became an onmyouji. He was in the ceremony, and he had a smile on his face. Hao would never forget that day. That night he and Yoh became two little kids again. It was one less worry Hao had. His first, and maybe last, night free, and the two spend it just like when they were little: looking at the stars and talking.

Yoh was there for everything. He was with him when Matamune appeared in his life, and for a while the cat could never see Yoh, but once he died and Hao made him a nekomata, the two became great friends. Sometimes it made Hao jealous. He would have to leave to do whatever it was required, and the two would talk for hours and hours.

Yoh also saw the start of the Asakura Clan, and the mansion in Izumo being constructed. He was there when Hao found out about the Shaman Fight, and when he first made the deal to be able to come back 500 years from that day in case he failed.

He never approved of Hao`s plan. He would say it was stupid, and that Hao should forget about vengeance. He still remembered his words "If you kill humans just because they are not like you… Doesn`t that make you just like them?".

Hao was so angry that he almost lost Yoh that day. He disappeared for a few days, and when he finally came back, Hao cried like a little kid, begging for forgiveness. Yoh just smiled and hugged him, like he did so many times before, and told him he would never leave Hao`s side. 9

A few months before his first death Hao finally questioned Yoh about what he was. Matamune was there with them. He remembered the scene perfectly still. They were in one of the spacious rooms of the house, far away from Hao`s wife and the other Asakura. Hao was on the balcony, watching the stars, while Yoh was sitting in the bed, watching him.

"Can you explain me something?" At the time Yoh didn`t have a name. Hao never bothered to name him. For a thousand years Yoh was to Hao a nameless companion. Now he could call him something, and couldn`t help but feel bad that he never bothered to name the boy who was always by his side "What are you?"

"I`m your friend." He said, smiling.

"I`m serious." Hao sighed. "The other Asakura can see Matamune, but they can`t see you. But Matamune can. Other onis or spirits cannot." Hao then turned around to face the man who looked just like him. "You age. Spirits don`t age. What are you?"

Yoh smiled and then walked up to him. He rested his arms in the balcony and tilted his head up, to see the sky.

"What am I…? I wonder how I can explain…" he looked and Hao and smiled "I`m you, but I`m not you."

"What do you mean?" Hao asked confused.

"You have more power than you imagine, Hao." He went back to look at the start "Do you remember when I first appeared? Do you remember what you were doing? What you wished for?"

"Yes." He said, calmly. He wished for friend, and he got the best friend he could ever imagine. He go Yoh.

"It wasn`t the first time you wished for that. You see, you wanted something so badly that… That you ended up creating it. I`m a spirit, a soul. Part of your soul that you set "free". You created me so you wouldn`t be lonely." He then smiled "That`s why only you can see me. Well, that`s not entirely true. Other spirits that you lent your spiritual force to also can see me."

"That is why…" Hao then turned to look at Matamune.

"You made me a Nekomata, Hao-sama." Matamune said, politely "It was only then that I was able to see him."

"You created me after yourself, in order for you to have a soul. Now I am my own spirit, but at the same time, I`m you." Yoh said, smiling "That is why I say that I`ll stay by your side as long as you want me to. If you get sick of me, all you have to do is wish for me to be gone and then _poof!"_ he made a little gesture with his hands, bringing all his fingers together and then separating them quickly, in a explosion like gesture "I`m gone."

Hao smiled and shook his head.

"That will never happen."

And Yoh laughed.

"I hope not."

And Yoh kept his promise. Even after his first death, after the entire clan turned against him, Hao stayed by his side. In Hell, Yoh was with him. And when Hao was reborn as a patch, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Yoh, his soul as young as his body.

He never agreed with Hao`s ideals, but that never stopped them from being friends. It was frustrating for Hao to be treated as kid when he was older and wiser than most people in the Patch village. Yoh, however, did not mind. One day Hao was sitting alone, well, alone as in no other patch with him, for Yoh was sitting by his side, quiet, and making plans for the next Shaman Fight. Yoh was bored. It was obvious by the number of times he sighed.

Then he stood up and stopped in front of Hao.

"What?" Hao asked annoyed.

"Let`s do something!" Yoh said, complaining "I`m bored!"

"Not now, I`m busy." Hao hissed "Stop acting like a kid, I have to figure things out for the next Shaman Fight!"

"We are kids!" he complained "Your soul may be thousands of years old, but inside you are still a kid! Let`s do something fun together Hao, just like we used to long ago!"

"Not now." He said.

"Please…" and when Hao looked up, he had the puppy eyes that he was never able to resist. He had forgotten how cute and persuasive Yoh could be as kid.

Hao then stood up and smiled. He closed his eyes and started to count. He heard Yoh laugh and run, trying to hide.

Even when Matamune betrayed him, Yoh was at his side. Hao remember, while he was dying, the words Yoh said to Matamune:

"Even if I don`t agree with him, I`ll stay by his side. I`ll be with him forever Matamune… No matter what happens, I`ll be with him."

Another 500 years passed with them in hell. Hao trained, and Yoh stayed by his side, always watching. Yoh made the years Hao passed on Earth and on Hell a lot less painful. With Yoh by his side, Hao didn`t feel alone. He took that for granted. He started to forget how it felt like when he didn`t have Yoh, and he became so blind with vengeance that he sometimes ignored his friend. Every now and then he would see Yoh worry if he was going to disappear.

And when it was finally time to be reborn again, Hao decided he wanted to be an Asakura again. And then he saw Keiko, pregnant with twins, and it was just too perfect! Twins! This meant Yoh could live as a real person! It meant Yoh would breath and live! He would be his twin brother! The two would train together, and Yoh would help him win this Shaman Fight!

Yoh wasn`t so sure though. He had never lived, he didn`t know if it was possible. He didn`t want to stay away from Hao. He resisted, but in the end, Hao persuaded him. Yoh was going to be born as his twin. Hao would finally give his companion a great gift, something to make up for all Yoh did to him: Hao would allow him to live his own life.

Of course, now, 15 years later, Hao regretted. He shouldn`t have chosen an Asakura, he shouldn`t have let Yoh live. If he had just listened to him, then Hao wouldn`t be feeling so alone. For 15 years Hao has been suffering like never before. Being without Yoh was worse than he could ever imagined. He would give up his dreams of becoming the Shaman King if it meant he could have Yoh with him again, and never, never feel alone again.

He knew it was selfish. Yoh was so happy with this friends, but he couldn`t help it! He wanted his friend, his companion back.

It wasn`t his fault! It wasn`t his fault that things ended up this way. There was no way of him knowing that this was going to happen! He didn`t know the Asakura would try to kill him! And then maybe Yoh as well? If Yoh died what would happen? Hao was afraid he would never see him again. He needed to let Yoh live. So he did that horrible scene, all to save Yoh. He promised his friend, now his twin, that he would return for him.

And he knew Yoh waited. For a while Yoh remembered everything. Yoh would wait for him every night in the same balcony where he explained what he was. Yoh waited for a long time, until one day Yoh forgot. Hao was still not sure on the details, but somehow Yoh forgot. And when Hao finally came back for him, he saw what the Asakura did to him. They were planning to use Yoh against him. His creation, his friend and companion, his _brother_! They wanted to put them against each other?!

Hao wasn`t sure what to do, but in the end he decided that maybe it would be best to gather followers, and once the Shaman Fight started again, he would take his Yoh back. They would become one again, just like they were many years ago. They would become one, inseparable, and Hao would never be alone again.

But for now, Hao could only watch him. It pained him to do so, but he couldn`t help it. And yet he hated it! He hated that it wasn`t him by his side, making him laugh and giving him a plate full of his favorite food. He hated that he had to share _his_ Yoh with so many people, and he hated that they made Yoh happy!

Either way, it was enough for today. He should probably go walk on the beach or something, take his mind off things. He needed to relax. Soon Yoh would be his again, and everything would be back to normal.

Yoh was eating with all his friends, laughing happily. Yet he couldn`t help but feel like something was missing, or like he needed to be doing this with someone else.

Hao… What was he doing at his moment? Since Yoh found out about his twin, he often wondered about him. Was he happy? How could he live so many years so lonely? Yoh remembered back when he didn`t have any friends, and it hurt. It hurt so much that Yoh sometimes wanted to cry. Did Hao feel like that as well?

"In our next battle, Yoh-dono and I are going to defeat you for sure, The Ren!" Said Ryu, pointing to his friends on the other side of the table. Yoh couldn`t help but laugh.

"Yeah, right!" Chocolove said.

"Keep dreaming!" said Horo-Horo.

"That will never happen." Ren said.

It wasn`t said by the same voice, not with the same tone and not even in the same context, yet when Yoh heard that, all his memories came rushing back in. In a second he wasn`t sure what Hao went through during his life, and the next he could recall every detail.

Damn! He needed to talk to him! He needed to let him know he remembered, and that he would keep his promise!

"Yoh! Yoh! Snap out of it dude!" Horo-Horo said, snapping his fingers in front of Yoh`s eyes.

He blinked and then looked at the people around the table, all looking at him concern.

"Yoh…" Manta called "Yoh, you`re crying."

Anna was looking at him attentive.

"Cry… Crying?" he said, putting his hand on his cheek. They were wet. He was definitely crying.

"What happened?" Anna asked, looking at him.

"Nothing." He said, standing up. "I got go… I`ll be back in a while."

And he ignored the protests as he ran out the door. He needed to find Hao quickly, and he knew exactly where to look. Yoh knew Hao better than he knew himself. Everytime Hao wanted to clear his head, he went to some place where he could hear water. Somehow it calmed the pyromaniac shaman.

He ran as quickly as he could, and sure enough, Hao was sitting by the beach, his eyes on the sea and on the stars. He turned around when he heard his younger brother walking behind him, his wooden sandals making funny noises as he stepped in the sand.

Hao smiled sadly, and then tried to transform it into a smirk.

"Well, if it isn`t my otouto… What do you do here, so far away from your _friends_?" he asked, not trying to hide his disgust.

"I don`t know what you are talking about, Hao." Yoh said, sitting down next to him "I am your friend, remember? I`ll be by your side as long as you want me. If you don`t want me, just wish it so."

Hao`s eyes were wide when he heard those words. There was no way… There was no way Yoh would be able to say that without remembering everything they went through together. Then did that mean that he… That he was back?

"Yoh… Yoh, do you remember?" he asked, amazed.

Yoh nodded. "I`m sorry I couldn`t before." He looked at Hao sadly "I`m sorry, I must have made you so lonely. I promised to always stay by your side yet…"

"It`s okay." Hao said, smiling "It` s okay. But now we can be together again. We can become one, and be just like before!"

Yoh looked at him, without a smile, before shaking his head.

"No, Hao." He said, sighing.

"What?" Hao asked, his eyes wide once again, but this time for a different reason. He felt as if his world had just shattered to pieces. Did he say… Did he say no?

"I`m my own person now, I have my own life. And I don`t agree with what you plan to do once you become the Shaman King. I`ll stop you." Hao stood up, ready to yell at his once friend, but Yoh did the same and calmly raised his hands to stop him. He was used to. Hao was always quick to lose his temper on their fights. "Let me finish. You are always impatient."

"Am not!"

"Yes you are." Yoh said smiling. "What I mean is… I won`t go back to just being a spirit, but that doesn`t mean we can`t be close like before."

"It`s impossible Yoh! In case you haven`t noticed, the situation is a little different!"

"I don`t see why we have to be different." Yoh shrugged. "Just because we are on different sides? Just because I`m living now? It doesn`t change what happened between us in the past, and the fact that you created me. My reason for being here is to be your friend Hao." He smiled "I don`t intend to break the promise I made you all those years ago. I`ll stay by your side, I`ll protect you and make you company. I promise."

"But…" Hao said, now his defenses completely down. His eyes were starting to water, and he was becoming the little boy Yoh knew he was inside. He would only allow his Yoh see him like this. Only Yoh.

"We`ll figure out the details later." Yoh said, gently interrupting "For now, let`s do something fun together Hao, just like we used to long ago."

And when he said those words it did for Hao. He broke down. He started crying and Yoh hugged him, comforting him just like he did many times before. Hao cried, losing the battle he had been fighting since the day they were separated. He had felt so lonely without Yoh! He felt so much pain when he was without him! It was like losing his mother all over again! He couldn`t take it! And now… Now his Yoh was back, and he knew he would never have to suffer like that again. Yoh was there for him, just like many years ago, and they would be close again. Hao wouldn`t be all alone anymore.

"It`s all right." Yoh said smiling. "I`m always going to be here for you Hao. Always…"

"Promise not to leave." Hao commanded, his voice muffled.

"I promise." Yoh said, laughing.

"Even when I wake up." Hao continued "Promise you`ll be there as soon as I open my eyes."

"Of course I will." Yoh said "I won`t leave you Nii-chan, don`t worry. I`ll stay by your side as long as you want me."

And Hao smiled. Finally… Finally he had his friend back.

**Well, this idea came to me last night when I was in bed ready to sleep. I wanted to write right then and there, but was too lazy. XD So I wrote today, only my internet only got back at night so… yeah! Here it is! A story about Hao and Yoh, it can be take it as brotherly, friendly, yaoi or whatever you want, I don`t care. XD I was just listening to this song and imagined what it would be like if Yoh had lived with Hao a thousand years ago, and the idea of making him Hao`s creation so he wouldn`t be lonely just popped up into my mind. By Hao`s personality I imagine he would be sort of possessive of Yoh. I mean, his entire life (or the two lives he lived) Yoh had been only his, his only friend and he was Yoh`s only friend… And now suddenly all these people came and took Yoh from him? I think he would be pretty angry and possessive of his friend. I thought about making this into a multi-chapter story, maybe Hao trying to adjust to Yoh`s life and getting possessive of him in front of his friends, but I gave up on that idea. XD I like it better as a oneshot. ^^**

**Please review!**


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